Forgive Me
by Ethriel
Summary: A life contained is a life without temptation. Being set free makes old habits harder to refrain from. Having someone watch your back can only help so much. KaiTala Gift fic for DemiGoddess Queen of Oc's. Updated!
1. Prologue

Forgive Me Prologue

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Summary - A life contained is a life without temptation. Being set free makes old habits harder to refrain from. Having someone watch your back can only help so much. KaiTala Gift fic for Demi-Goddess Queen of Oc's.

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"You have very beautiful eyes, you know that?"

This was the first thing the redhead had said for the whole half-hour he'd sat there. The blue-eyed teen across from him had taken one look at him then turned his attention to the roof, apparently counting the tiles, whilst Doctor Tate introduced them. It seemed to him that the blonde woman couldn't have gotten out of there fast enough.

As soon as the door had closed behind her he took a seat in the hard folding chair across from the younger male, who didn't flinch or even glance at him. Didn't bat an eyelash. Totally unconcerned. He supposed that was a good thing though, the teen didn't find him a threat.

He hadn't tried speaking to the redhead directly because, quite simply, he wasn't interested. Instead he'd taken the file Doctor Tate had given him while they walked to the room, flipped it open, and began scanning over the details of the boy's life. He'd just finished the third page when the younger male had spoken, and he lifted his eyes to find the blue pair now trained on him.

The teen was calm, completely collected, apparently without a care in the world. This surprised Kai for quite a few reasons. Most in similar situations wouldn't want to be locked all alone in a room with an older man, nor would they want him to come too close. The redhead across from him didn't seem to care either way.

"Thank you." He replied. "What's your name?"

"You got a girlfriend?" The other asked with a smug and amused smile.

"What is your name?" Kai repeated, ignoring the question, knowing the redhead was trying to irk him.

The teen smirked. "Doesn't it tell you in the file? Should do, the doctors seem to think they know everything about me."

"Says here there are four names."

"Take a guess then. One is right, one is wrong, the third is a fake and the fourth is someone who the doctors suspect I am." He lifted his legs from the table and dropped them onto the floor, instead propping his elbows on the chilly steel surface as he gazed at Kai intently.

Kai suddenly wondered why the teen wasn't secured in any manner. "I'd rather you just told me your name."

"My mommy always told me never to talk to strangers, let alone tell them my name."

"You're coy."

The redhead smirked, shrugged, and leant back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "Most guys like the whole coy, cute, 'you're taking advantage of me' thing. Doesn't work for you?"

"Not particularly, no."

"Oh well, I tried. Am I leaving a lasting impression on you doctor, or do I seem normal?"

Kai smiled slightly, shaking his head. "I'm not a doctor."

"Oh? That changes everything then." The sly smirk on the blue-eyed boys face widened. "Who are you then?"

"Kai Hiwatari. I'm going to be your parole officer for the next two years."

"Parole officer? Didn't think they'd let me back out so early." He yawned. "I thought I wasn't supposed to get parole for another four years."

"Due to your lack of bad behaviour we decided to let you out earlier than expected, would you rather stay?"

"Maybe." The redhead shrugged, eyes trailing casually over the male before him. "Tell me, did you volunteer to take me on or was it forced?"

"No one ever gets a choice. Completely random. So it's neither forced nor optional. Want to tell me your name now? We'll be able to get alone much better."

He seemed to mull over it for a moment, his eyes closing as his head dipped, long bangs partially obscuring his face. "Yuri." He said after a moment. "You can call me Yuri."

Kai's eyes flicked down to the case file, and he was surprised to note that Yuri was not on the list at all. "Yuri?" He repeated.

"Yes, Yuri. Y-U-R-I." The teen seethed, his eyes opened and poised in a glare, fury swirling amidst the soft blues. "I think I may have made a mistake in telling you, seeing as how I had to repeat myself."

"I'm sorry for making you repeat yourself, I just couldn't help noticing that the name isn't down here. You can call me Kai."

Yuri smirked at that, his eyes still flashing with anger. "Doesn't surprise me. I told you, I don't tell my names to strangers, and that's all those people," he waved a vague hand at the door, "are, strangers."

"And I'm not?" Kai asked, letting his forearms rest on the table as he met the stare of the younger male levelly.

"If I'm correct we'll be spending quite a bit of time together, so no, that doesn't make you a stranger. When will I be getting out exactly?"

"Tomorrow morning."

Yuri frowned, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Either the release is early, or your visit is late. There is paperwork involved, is there not?"

"It's already filled out and signed. We just thought it'd be better as a surprise for you rather than premeditated knowledge."

Small sparks of aggression began shooting at him from the icy blue depths. "There was nothing premeditated about it from my end. Lets think of murder as a race. I just happened to beat him to the finish line."

Kai lifted his hands defensively, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, bad choice of wording on my part. I wasn't referring to the murder charge." Yuri's eyes remained doubtful and Kai smiled slightly. "Hey, would these eyes lie?"

The redhead's lips twitched upwards into a small smirk, the glare slowly softening into the same amused stare Yuri had had when he and Judy had walked in together.

"Eyes are like mirrors - they reflect what people want to see. Do you want me to believe you?"

"Yes, I do. Want me to be even more honest?"

Yuri's expression did not shift or falter so he continued.

"I want you to trust me. I want you to co-operate with me. six months of your co-operation and trust and I'll be out of your life if that's what you want. If not we can keep in touch. Six months isn't a long time considering how long you've been in here."

"…you know something, I think we're going to get along smashingly." With a single graceful movement the redhead was standing, smirking slightly, and moments later a guard opened the door. "See you tomorrow Kai."

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Short and probably pretty crappy, but please review anyway because it makes me feel good.


	2. Chapter 1

Forgive Me Chapter 1

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"…you're back early."

Kai ignored the statement as he dumped his jacket and the files he had been carrying onto the couch, refusing to meet the gaze of the auburn haired beauty standing in the bedroom doorway. He proceeded through to the small kitchenette, feeling a flame of frustration spark to life within him as he threw open the refrigerator door and tried to locate something edible within. As he expected, there was no food –none that was edible, anyway- to be found, and instead he grasped one of the many beer bottles and slammed the door closed. He knew she was behind him, he could feel her eyes on his back, and he twisted off the cap before bringing it to his lips, taking a long, relaxing swallow.

"Kai, we need to talk about this…" She broached, trying to sound firm but the result fell far short of the mark and landed somewhere between pleading and grating. This was the second time that day he had disregarded her, but she knew she could no more force him to speak to her than she could make a dog ride a bicycle. "…please? All I'm asking for is a few minutes and--"

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" He cut off coolly, turning to face her and feeling a sliver of satisfaction race through him at the hurt that flashed in her eyes. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, the bottle chilling him through his shirt as he continued, "I believe all that needed to be said was said last night. You said you wanted to leave, I said I wouldn't stop you. What more do you want? A permission slip with my blessing to get the hell out?"

"Jesus Kai this is what I was talking about!" She yelled in frustration, slamming the palm of her hand against the doorframe as she glared at him. Tears sparkled within the emerald coloured orbs, and for a moment he felt a remorseful pang of longing, wishing for the time when their relationship had been new and everything about it sweet, but the moment passed and all he could taste was the bitter aftertaste of beer and betrayal upon his tongue. "You shut me out all the time Kai, for no reason! All I ever wanted was to be a good woman to you, a good woman **for** you, but you sure as hell didn't act like a man for me!"

"**I** couldn't act like a man for you? Is **that** your excuse for getting fucked on a bar-top by another guy? Really Julie, the 'I-was-so-drunk-I-didn't-even-know-what-I-was-doing-and-he-took-advantage-of-me' line was much more believable, stick to that."

"That is not fair!" Her voice was tight now, and Kai felt the urge to just walk out and go crash in the office, hell even on a subway bench. Anything was better than this argument. They'd been through it so many times it had lost even it's meaning, like a beloved song played over and over until the words –once so deeply felt- were nothing but a jumble of phrases. "It was a mistake, I apologized for it, and you said we could move on! But you have never been able to let it go, have you? Newsflash Kai, it was over a year ago!"

"Time does not heal all wounds. And you know damn well this isn't just about what happened at Shooter's. You lied to me, you manipulated me, and the only reason you're sorry is because you got found out. I would **never** have forced you to do what you did, but I think you knew exactly why you had to do it."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore! I'm leaving!" She sobbed, turning and fleeing towards the bedroom.

"Fine by me." He muttered to himself, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. He knew she had tried to make things work between them, and he suspected that was why he felt a minute prickling of conscience, but it didn't change what had happened. It was hard to continue a relationship with a known liar and cheat, but it was even harder to control the paranoia and distrust he felt every time she walked out that door without him by her side. Every time she came home late, be it a few minutes or a few hours, he wondered where she had been, who with, and who they may have encountered along the way. Julie was a beautiful woman, a woman he believed he had loved once, but the love had soured and no matter how much sugar you add to shit, it would still be sugared shit.

A few hours later, he found himself semi-intoxicated and picking at the remains of recently delivered beef Chow-Mien, eyes trailing over the file on Yuri. So far it had been a long but interesting read, from the police reports on the murder to the psych exams taken at the prison. There were yearly conduct reports, even a report of an attack against the slender red-head. As far as he could tell Yuri had not started the fight, but it had resulted in both inmates being sent to the medical facilities, Yuri with a stab-wound, the attacker with a broken arm and three fractured ribs.

He turned back a few pages, re-reading one of Dr Judy Tate's many 'personal' scribbling notes that had been attached by paper-clip to one of her first interviews with him. He could see why Yuri had quickly grown irritated by her, her questions reeked of the desire to prove a theory, but what the theory was he was unsure. Her notes hinted at identity issues and latent multiple-personalities, even several references that he might be sociopathic, but the only problem Dr Tate seemed to have was deciding whether he was a primary or secondary. Shifting into a more comfortable position, keeping his place with a thumb, he flicked through several others, locating what he was looking for.

_Interview number: 13821_

_Interview date: 23/06/08_

_Interview start: 1:01 pm_

_Subject name: Prichov, __Innokenti_

_Height: 5'8"_

_Weight: 155-165lbs_

_Hair: Red_

_Eyes: Blue_

_Age: Unknown_

**Dr Judy Tate: Hello again, Mr Prichov.**

**Innokenti Prichov: I do wish you would stop calling me that.**

**Dr Tate: It is the only alias of yours that you have responded to thus far, Mr Prichov.**

**I. Prichov: You don't care who I am, Doctor, only what excuses you can make up for my murder of the infamous Mr Balkov.**

**Dr Tate: Infamous? You believe he was infamous?**

**I. Prichov: Let's not get into this again, Judy, we have been through this before. To the middle-upper-class set, he was a generous donor to hundreds of charities, a little eccentric but still, a kind loving multi-millionaire who would never harm a fly. Didn't the American public, for the most part, believe the same of Michael Jackson?**

**Dr Tate: Are you suggesting Mr Balkov was a paedophile? **_**(1)**_

At this point, he shifted his eyes to the slip of paper attached to the official document, and as he had hoped, in Judy's neat script, "(1) He smiles, but says nothing. He's tilting his head, he's going to be coy again. Always the same routine, say something inflammatory and then retreat into silence. Is he probing me?"

**I. Prichov: In my circles, circles I know that you would never find yourself involved in, he was known as **_**Dayuschij Boli Vladel'ca**_**. **_**(2)**_

Kai, being of Russian descent himself, did not need to look at Judy's notes to understand the title that had been bestowed upon Balkov by countless prostitutes. It brought question of why Yuri's lawyer had not succeeded in the self-defence acquittal he had tried so desperately for, when the defendant had been known as Master Pain Giver.

**Dr Tate: And what does that mean Mr Prichov?**

**I. Prichov: I'm sure you'll be able to find someone to translate it for you. Back to the subject at hand, **_**Vladelec**_** had very firm rules. When you stepped inside the rented room, you must fall to your knees and wait for him to come to you. You must never proceed without his permission, for the moment you step in the door you become his property, and he is paying for your time. Depending on his mood or how his business was going, he could fetch you from the moment you entered, or up to an hour after you arrive. Sometimes, he'll just sit in the living room and watch you for an hour, enjoying the fact that your knees start to hurt and your muscles start to stiffen and if you are truly unfortunate, that you will need to relieve yourself.**

**Dr Tate: …and then what would happen?**

**I. Prichov: Why, you must ask me? You don't have any ideas or theories of your own?**

**Dr Tate: I am trying to help you, Mr Prichov, but you are not making it easy.**

**I. Prichov: No, you are trying to further your career, although to what end I have no idea. I'm not a psychopath, my case is not unique, I have no mental illnesses whatsoever…tell me, what are you trying to prove with me?**

**Dr Tate: I'm…(3)**

**I. Prichov: I think we're done, Doctor. I have nothing more to say to you this afternoon, and you have worn my patience thin. Goodbye.**

_Interview end: 1:23 pm._

He wanted to read more, to see if any further revelations into what exactly had happened when Yuri had gone to Balkov's apartment had been documented, but his eyes burned mercilessly from too much beer and not enough sleep. He rubbed at them wearily and closed the file, promising himself he would read more tomorrow before he had to meet and place his newest charge, but he knew he was bullshitting himself on that because he had two other parolees to check up on beforehand and if he didn't catch some sleep, he would be irritable as all hell.

Sighing and standing up, he dropped the file onto his chair –possibly the only possession in the whole damn apartment he cared about- and turned out the small lamp. His eyes flittered to the glowing red haze of the small digital clock beside it, and gave a silent groan as he moved silently towards the bedroom. 3.34, he'd be lucky if he got a decent three hours before he was up and out the door again. Julie had left the door slightly ajar and he nudged it open as quietly as possible, slipping through the crack and beginning to unbutton his shirt. Through the slats of the blinds, thin threads of light revealed her huddled form under the blankets, and he felt a wave of revulsion wash through him at the thought of spending a night in bed with her.

A night without sleep won the conflict however, and he gently lowered his weight onto the hard mattress, laying back and closing his eyes, hoping she would be gone tomorrow when he returned. He felt her shifting beside him, and he squeezed his eyes even tighter as he clenched his teeth, feeling her hand brush the bare skin of his back. But she made no further move to entreat him, and without his response, she rolled away moments later, letting out a soft sob before burying her face back into the pillow.

-

"You'll be back, Prichov, and when you are…"

Yuri smirked slightly to himself, staring at his aggrieved cellmate Rick "Why they put us back in a cell together I don't know, but you certainly shouldn't be here. You should be in the lower-functioning block if you think I'll be back."

"Why you…"

"Hey! What's goin' on in there?" A passing guard banged on the bars, having spotted Rick's hulking form rise from the bed and move towards the lithe redhead. "Sit the hell back down Rick, before I throw you in the hole. Prichov, you quit pushing his buttons. Don't forget we gave you your ticket out, we can revoke it just as fast."

"Officer Norton, I swear, I was just sitting here waiting for you, it was Rick who began making threats." He replied lowly, sending a sly wink at the blonde before turning innocent eyes to the guard. "You believe me, don't you? I would **never** do **anything** to jeopardize my early-release."

"Don't try and play me boy, just get your ass up and move."

Getting to his feet, he sent a smirk at Rick and mouthed a quick 'goodbye' before hurrying from the cell, mentally chuckling as Officer Norton slammed the cell door closed just before the bulky-blonde crashed into it with a loud curse and a string of threats. "Such a violent offender, Officer. Why oh why did you put me back with him after the last time?"

"Quit playing scared, I've been around you for three years Prichov, and I know you ain't scared of him. You gave as good as you got. I would've thought after the warden warned you, you would've cut it out, but you ain't that bright. You're lucky I was keepin' an eye on you in there, otherwise you wouldn't be getting this chance."

"I am grateful for your upstanding character and fatherly affection towards me…daddy." Amusement washed throughout him as the color drained from the older males face before rushing back in a burst of crimson, and he knew the corrections-officer was forcing himself to keep his eyes straight ahead.

"Now you listen here you little faggot--"

"Your secret is safe with me, Norton. You don't mind if I call you Norton now, do you? I'm a free man after all. By the by I find the term faggot to be highly derogatory and offensive, and just a little bit hypocritical. After all, unless I'm mistaken, you're the one who propositioned me. But I don't hold it against you, I served a purpose for you, and you served one for me. My profession always calls on discretion, so you can rest assured I have no reason to threaten you." He soothed smoothly, analysing the brunette's facial expression to see how much further he could push.

"I am **not** a faggot. I got a wife, I got kids--"

"And you liked to have a man young enough to be your son giving you a little trip on the Oral Express every once in a while. It's a commonplace occurrence; thousands of men do it daily. Anyway I can see how this is upsetting you so I will desist. I was merely trying to thank you."

"Then don't." Norton snapped, punching in the code to open the property room door before shoving Yuri inside. He glared at the younger male. "You don't say shit son, and you sit your ass down in that chair and wait till I'm done. Mick, bring me the papers for this sack of shit, he's outta here." He slammed the flat of a meaty palm against the steel protection screen to catch the attention of the pale male fussing around at the desk.

"One moment Officer Norton, I have to finish this." Sensing the glare of the older male, he sighed and felt around with his fingers for a moment before grasping a sheet of paper, pushing it through the small slot in the grating to Norton. "Have him read and sign these while I finish, then I'll get his things."

Yuri felt the papers thrust into his hands, and he stared at Norton expectantly for a moment before beseeching him, "A pen, if you please?" He repressed a smile at the growl he received along with the pen, and slowly began to fill out the form. It amused him to no end that they tried to learn more about him now that he was leaving than they had gathered while he resided there.

**Name: Prichov, ****Innokenti**

**Age: Unknown**

**Date of Birth: Unknown**

**Date of Incarceration: 12/06/06**

**Date Of Release: 23/08/09**

Smiling, he extended the paper and pen back the Norton, who strode back to the counter-top and beat on the abused steel mesh once more. "Hurry it up! They're out for food in ten minutes, and if I'm not there, it holds up the whole god damn day!"

Yuri felt sorry for this Mick person but said nothing, watching as he stopped what he had previously been doing to do as ordered, not needing the blame for the schedule of the day going downhill. From experience, Yuri knew that his former inmate brethren needed the routine, the steady, repeated agenda that drove the lifers mad but gave the short-timers a solid basis on which to count their time. He waited patiently until Norton waved him over before dismissing himself, and the redhead gave the other a smile. "He's very demanding, isn't he?" He asked, and was pleased when the innuendo was agreed with but not fully understood as the green-haired male disappeared between the isles of boxes.

He returned minutes later and slowly began removing the items from within the box, meticulously scouring the check-sheet to make sure it was all there. "One pair of gloves, fingerless, black, leather. One silver earring, upper-ear, bend, Celtic design. One silver chain…some kind of…tooth?"

"Wolf tooth." Yuri informed, receiving a puzzled look for his answer before Mick nodded and carried on.

"One silver chair, wolf tooth. One cell-phone, blue. One pair black steel toed boots, size 8. One pair black leather pants, size 6. One red tank top, medium. One black wallet, two tens, a twenty, three nickels, a quarter and a dime."

"That sounds like everything." Yuri agreed cheerily, but felt his mood deflate ever so slightly as Mick started to pile everything into one large black trash bag. "Is that sanitary?"

"Probably not, but its regulation." The other replied apologetically. "We're also going to give you a bus ticket, to get you into town, and fifty bucks so you can get something to eat or…you know, whatever. You'll go to this address," here Mick scribbled an address on a scrap of paper before sliding the bag and the paper through the slot, "where you will meet your parole officer and be placed in a half-way house for one third of your original sentence."

"Three years?" Yuri asked, an eyebrow arching incredulously. "So what happens with the other third of my sentence?"

"Parole. You'll be allowed your own place, and you'll only have to meet with your P.O once a month instead of once a week, but you will be expected to maintain a steady job and keep out of trouble. Here's your ticket and your fifty…" Mick paused for a moment, seeming to hesitate before he spoke once more, "I heard about your case, Mr Prichov. I don't think you should've been here at all. Good luck on the outside, hopefully you can put this all behind you."

Stunned into temporary silence, it took a moment for Yuri to nod dumbly in response. "Thank you, I will." His lips twitched slightly in what Mick thought was meant to be a smile, and then the slender redhead was gone, wearing the neat cheap suit his lawyer had given him for his trial –wearing the alternative, the orange prison jumpsuit, would have made him appear guilty as soon as he stepped into court, after all- and carrying his worldly possessions in a dirty black bag.

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There are a lot of hints in this chapter about what is to come, but all will be revealed in later chapters, including explinations on Kai's relationship status, Yuri's original crime, and what the pretty redhead is going to do with himself! Please RnR :) Thanks for reading


	3. Chapter 2

Forgive Me Chapter 2

.0.

Yuri had never seen a slummier looking house than the one he was confronted with now, but what had he expected from the government who had locked him up for killing in self-defense with a bunch of rapists, murderers, gangbangers and pedophiles? Now it looked like he would be sentenced to a similar fate for at least another three years. Then again, being seated on the bus beside a rehabilitated child molester had hardly been the fun-filled way to start his day. No, up until the moment he had told the other man what he had done to earn his place in jail –fudging a few of the details here and there, of course- did the other back off, even going so far as to stand up and move seats. No rapist, of children or adults, wanted to hear that a victim of their crime had nearly taken their attackers head off with a shard of broken mirror.

Shaking his head free of these thoughts and taking a deep breath, he started up the trash-strewn path, stepping on the overgrown weeds with a frown of discontent, hands stuffed into his pockets as his bag of possessions bumped against the back of his thigh. He wondered what it would be like in this place, who he would wind up living with, if they would have to share the household responsibilities, if he would have to share a bedroom with another parolee. He had heard only the vaguest of details about the halfway house, but he was sure his parole officer would be able to fill him in on the rest.

Kai Hiwatari…he felt a smile touch his lips. He silently mouthed the name, the smile widening as he formed the words with his lips, rolling it around on his tongue before expelling it in a soft breath. He would definitely have to ask the bluenette the origin of his unique name, suspecting it was Japanese but unable to see the traits in his appearance. The swirling burgundy eyes gleaming above masterfully defined cheekbones, a strong jaw line outlined by a pair of striking shark-fin tattoos on each cheek. Yuri found their fierceness appealing, and the fact that their color matched his unruly two-toned hair precisely only complimented its owner all the more.

"Yuri, I'm sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting long?"

Kai Hiwatari, who stood before him now, his hair seemingly wilder than ever, a black tank top wrapping snugly around his torso like a second skin, partially covered by a denim jacket that matched the navy cargo pants he wore, finished off by a pair of black sneakers and a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes. Yuri was tempted to reach out and swat the shades away, to see the deliciously crimson depths he knew were hiding behind the tinted glass, but he restrained himself. It would not bode well to push him. Yet. "Not long." He replied, smiling slightly, making a point of staring into his eyes, trying to see beyond the darkness of the shades.

"How'd the release go? Smooth, I hope." He took the shades off and stuffed them deep into his pocket, offering the younger a small smirk.

"Any release is better than no release." Yuri couldn't help it as his head cocked to the side, taking in the dark shadows under Kai's eyes that had not been there the night before. "But it seems you are perhaps the one who did not have a smooth night."

Kai thought about denial, about lying, but in the end he decided upon simplicity. His trip to the prison yesterday had shown him that the redhead valued honestly, and he suspected the other probably had a pretty good lie detector built into his head. The last thing he needed was for Yuri to be as uncooperative for him as he had been for Judy. "No, I didn't get much sleep. I'm sure you know how it is when things pile up. Anyway, let's get you settled in and meet your house-mates."

"So there are housemates." The statement made Kai stop in his tracks and looked over his shoulder to the slender redhead, who stood now with his arms folded across his chest, obviously unwilling to move. Turning fully, he also crossed his arms.

"Of course. The official explanation is that it's to help people recently paroled ease back into society-"

"And to do that they place them in a house with other parolee's?"

"That, and it's cheaper than each having their own apartment, it takes less man-power and work hours for parole officers to monitor them, and again, it's the sociability aspect. Maybe two or three out of the four or five really are rehabilitated, and they'll help keep the others in line, show them how to lead a normal life." Kai waved his hand in a vague circle, trying to ignore the dull throb at the back of his skull as he wished Yuri would just consent and go inside.

He had gotten two hours of sleep before Julie had awakened him with the sound of retching. He had tried to take no notice of the rude awakening but once his eyes had opened, he was fully alert and ready to start the day. When he had left for work –assuming he started work at 6am- she was still in the bathroom, the soft sounds of sobs and the harsher sounds of vomiting following him out. Abruptly he shook his head, attempting to dismiss the thoughts. He would have more time to brood and mull over her later, for now he had to focus on work.

When he finally returned his gaze to meet the icy blue eyes of the Russian across from him, it seemed Yuri had not minded what he could only hope was a brief lapse in their conversation. In fact Yuri had his hands clasped politely behind his back, head slightly tilted to the side, a look of intent interest on his face as if Kai had been speaking to him the whole time. "Let's get going." He urged after a moment, turning away without waiting and starting up the path. He was pleased to hear the soft patter of sneakered feet following behind him. He paused at the door, one hand resting on the tarnished doorknob as he reached for his set of the house keys with the other. He felt like he should say something, but what that something was he wasn't exactly sure.

Yuri waited patiently for the bluenette to open the door before following him inside, allowing his eyes to coolly take in their new surroundings. While slightly run-down and shabbily furnished, the living room he had just stepped into was kept immaculately neat. He felt a small smile touch his lips, and decided one of his new house-mates had a clear case of OCD.

The only furniture in the room was two armchairs and a sofa, carefully placed within view of the small but bulky television, whilst trying to make the room appear larger than it was. The unfortunate thing was that not one thing matched another in the room. One of them was a well-used but well-maintained lazy-boy, the soft plump leather suffering only nominal wear, but still seeming to gleam with pride, like a bloodied fighter after K.O'ing his opponent. Except the fighter would not have been covered in beige-pink leather, and the lazy-boy was.

The other chair was a strange thing indeed, and looked as though it belonged somewhere in the 1970's. Longer in the seat than the back, Yuri suspected it had to be the least comfortable seating in the house, if not the known world. It could also be the ugliest, with brown-and-white floral print and pine arm-rests…why not mahogany or any other dark wood? He almost shivered, but instead moved his eyes towards the couch. Bright bright red, but thankfully with no print in sight, it seemed comfy enough, but also incredibly cramped if three people were to sit on it.

At one wall was a cheap looking fireplace, the kind that allowed the optical illusion of an actual fire when turned on, but gave nothing but a stifling dry heat, and not the powerful warmth of a log-fuelled blaze. Atop its mantel were rows of figurines and candles, each spaced the same distance apart, following the pattern of candle, ornament, ornament, candle. Above the troupe of china and porcelain was a small cuckoo clock, the small bird sticking out obscenely, the small doors closed on the spring. He looked towards the face and noted the time was accurate, but he wondered why the OCD suffering housemate had not replaced the bird in his proper home.

The wallpaper was…well, Yuri had no words for the wallpaper. Victorian in design, a repetitive pattern of roses inside circles traced with other flowers, it was a design he could see countless old ladies gushing over, chattering amongst themselves about its beauty and class, but in a household of men…what had the decorators been drinking? He hoped the person who had done the job had run out before he had been able to finish the rest of the house. He could see that some spots were discolored, almost as if someone had tried to wash it. He shook his head sadly, promising himself that as soon as he had money, he would personally re-paper the room.

"It's not the nicest of houses," Kai admitted from behind him, having seen Yuri's critical gaze around the room, "but it's homely enough. Better than the pen, right?"

"I'm not so sure. At least those walls were stone. Plus, it was pretty much inescapable and was made to be inescapable. This is inescapable, but it would be so easy just to walk out and not suffer the mind-numbing _faux pas_ of taste_._"

Chuckling, the bluenette shook his head and waved the redhead to one of the chairs. "I'm going to go find the others, wait here." He watched Yuri cautiously approach one of the chairs with a disgusted look, then nudge it gently with his foot, as if he was attempting to wake up a drunken hobo who had fallen asleep on his doorstep. With a reluctant sigh he strode toward the couch instead, dropping into it with a petulant frown. Smirking slightly to himself, Kai turned away and moved through the kitchen, casting a precursory eye around his surroundings to make sure everything was being properly maintained.

It was nothing more than habit, had been nothing more than habit for two years, but it was still a part of his job. Ever since Rei had been shipped in it had been an unnecessary part but…he had to be sure. Only once in the two years had the house been in a state of disarray, when Rei had been so ill he had been unable to leave bed for the entire week, and he had had to personally supervise the cleaning of every room. The golden-eyed Neko seemed to be the only one who knew anything about keeping house.

He moved quickly up the stairs towards the bedrooms, banging once on each door to announce his presence. By the time he had reached the third door already the occupants of the first two rooms were downstairs, and by the time he was banging on the last door, the third was moving listlessly towards the stairs. None of them had said anything. It took only a few moments before the aforementioned Neko-jin stepped out, smiling as he closed the door behind him. "Hi Kai, it's nice to see you again. I made cookies and fresh bread earlier this morning if you want some?" He made to step around the bluenette but was stopped by a hand on his chest.

"No thanks Rei, I'm just here to quickly drop off a new parolee and check up on everyone…but I need to talk to you first." Kai sent a quick look at the stairs to make sure the others had gone, then turned his attention back to the curious youth in front of him. "You're the mother-hen of the bunch, so this is why I'm telling you this. Yuri was a hooker, put inside for murdering a john."

"Self-defense?" Rei asked automatically.

"So he claims. He's not dangerous…at least we don't think he's dangerous, but he's very…hrm…direct, for lack of a better word. I don't know how well he's going to react being locked in here seven nights a week with Enrique. Especially if Enrique pulls the same act with him that he did with you…"

"I can handle him. I think Enrique learned last time to behave himself."

"Is he still sneaking out?"

"Sometimes…he's in trouble Kai. He won't tell me what it is but…he comes home with bruises, he seems tired all the time…I don't want him to get into trouble, they'll send him back. They won't **help** him. He's been trying so hard to get out of the life but…he just keeps slipping. I **know** if you let me I can help him."

Kai frowned and crossed his arms before his chest, displeased that Rei had not told him this sooner. He could understand why though, of course he could. The raven-haired male was no fool, and Kai knew the statistics first hand. Rei knew that he would have to report the disappearances and probable drug use, and then Enrique would be shipped back to prison for screwing up. But Rei knew how close Enrique was to being freed from the halfway house, to get back into the world. Unfortunately Rei's motherly short-sightedness would apparently not allow him to see the life Enrique would continue to live on the streets. It was this relationship that weakened him, and he emphasized his frustration at the situation in every heated word, "You have one more chance to straighten him out Rei. **One**. If he doesn't straighten up…I have to report it."

Lowering his eyes, Rei nodded. "I understand."

Two of them were whores, Yuri noted as they filed into the room like rebellious teenagers, rudely awoken from the lives they lived six days of the week while separated from their unwelcomed parent. Now he was coming over for dinner to see how they were behaving. He was sure on a regular day-to-day basis; these three were never in the same room together.

The first one to enter was a strung-out looking blonde with blank blue eyes and fidgeting fingers. The second, a broad stern looking lavender-haired male with chillingly cold eyes. Yuri recognized the look in those eyes, the one he had seen reflected back at him in the eyes of so many of his customers. He was a Dominant, most likely rented out to rich older women without husbands or escorts, or young men who needed their activities to be discreet. He could see everything he needed to by the other's attitude and demeanor, and for a moment Yuri saw _Dayuschij Boli Vladel'ca _sitting in his extravagantly decorated living room, watching him as he sat on the floor by the doorway. As quickly as the image came it passed when the broader male spoke. "Do I know you?" He provoked lowly, steely eyes glinting with carefully reigned animosity.

Yuri decided it was best not to reply, for no answer could be correct with his type, and he turned his attention to the third male in the room. A tall redhead; handsome, athletic even, but it was unlikely he was a hooker. Until Kai came back to introduce them, he had no idea about who the redhead might be. When he found calculating teal eyes staring back at him, he shifted his gaze back to the ugly wallpaper.

He found himself wondering what the dominant had done to find himself in prison, for it was harder to pin a prostitution charge on a fetishist. Most of the time, there was no actual sex involved, only the customer's desired fetish. "Good afternoon everyone." Kai said from the doorway, and Yuri saw Rei scurry around him to take a seat beside him on the couch. The golden-eyed male offered him a welcoming smile. "Today we're finally filling up Max's room. This is Yuri, he'll be here for three years. Yuri, this is Enrique," The weary looking blonde managed to lift his head slightly and give a weak wave, "Bryan,"

"We've already spoken." Bryan remarked, shifting further into his seat. Yuri could almost feel the waves of hostility permeating from him.

"Michael." Kai pointed at the now grinning redhead seated in the lazy-boy before finishing, "And lastly we have Rei."

"Welcome, Yuri. We're happy to have you here, even if Bryan doesn't seem happy about anything." Rei took the slender males hand in his own, giving it a comforting squeeze as he turned back to Kai. Yuri shifted uncomfortably, wriggling his wrist from side to side before forcing his arm to relax, sensing that the petite Neko-jin would not release his hand unless he requested it back. And that would just be awkward. "We'll look after him."

"Good to hear Rei. Bryan, how is your job going?"

Bryan shrugged, his eyes narrowing slightly at the mention of the J word. "You ask me every week, and every week I tell you the same damn thing. You've got me fixing cars for a living, there's not much deviant activity to get up to there." Yuri couldn't help but notice the fascinated eyes of the broader redhead had never left him, and he matched the others stare with a hostile glare.

Kai noticed this, but without actual provocation, he could not interfere in the wordless confrontation going on between the two redheads. He contemplated the notion of dismissing Michael from the room, but instead simply asked him how his work had been going. Michael was working in a bar, which was something of a danger-zone not only for the redhead in question but for Rei and Enrique –and now Yuri- also. When Michael gave the all-clear that everything was going well, and that he'd even met a girl he was interested in, Kai received the lawful go-ahead to take him aside. But that would come later. "Enrique?"

For a moment, there was a dead silence in the room so strong that even Yuri could feel the tension building before the blonde raised his head slightly at a second prompt. "Work is fine." He mumbled almost incoherently. Drunk, Yuri suspected. Maybe doped up. He felt the fingers wrapped around his hand give an involuntary squeeze and cast an eye at the Neko-jin seated beside him. He found the raven-haired male staring worriedly at Enrique and fearfully at Kai, and the option of drunk was dismissed.

The blonde was high.

Yuri gave him a closer inspection, not caring if Bryan or Michael or even Rei saw him examining the cadaverous blonde. He could be no more than nineteen, a wispy wraith of a thing, not too tall for his litheness to seem anorexic, but not short enough to hide the fact he was not eating enough. He could see the saucer sized pupils engulfed in dead listless blue, and the multitude of red threads tracing the whites of his eyes gave him means to think the blonde had also been having problems sleeping.

Mentally he crossed out a few drugs and began a more casual examination, eyeing the boy's hands. He could see no signs of tracks, but those could easily be hidden underneath the long-sleeved green sweater he wore, or –if he was a smart junkie- between his toes or in other erroneous zones. Customers didn't like working with a hooker who looked like they'd been carelessly slamming needles into their arms, for these were the days of Aid's and HIV and other STD's. But then on the other hand, Enrique didn't exactly look like he was the type who had safe-sex johns, so who was to say what lay underneath.

He turned his eyes to the bluenette standing rigidly before them, taking the time to rake his eyes across the room's occupants. Bryan looked weary, as though this was a common-place occurrence that served no purpose other than to bore him. Michael on the other hand looked worried, possibly even more so than Rei. It was Kai that held Yuri's rapt attention however, because right now the crimson-eyed male was an unreadable statue, unmoving and cold, staring Enrique down with enough anger to make the temperature in the room kick up a few notches.

Then, with eerie steadiness, he asked the question everyone already knew the answer to. "Are you high Enrique?"

The blonde shifted in his seat, but even that action seemed devoid of energy or purpose, before he gave a half-hearted shrug. "No." He responded lamely, and once again his fingers began to fidget, twisting and stroking one another, before he forced himself to clasp them together. Yuri wondered if the slight tremble he had detected had been from fear, or desperation. "Just tired, haven't been sleeping well."

"At least do me the courtesy of looking at me while you lie to me Enrique." Kai ordered lowly. He was not in the mood to deal with this, not now. He could feel the incessant throb at the side of his head quickening in pace, alerting him to the oncoming migraine he would receive for his troubles, and on top of that he was sure his stomach was eating itself out of starvation. He hadn't eaten anything that morning, and the cheap Chinese food the night before had been the first thing he had managed to keep down in the two days previously. His body was breaking down, and his ability to contain his temper was quickly following it.

Meeting the far-away stare of the blonde only made the collapse build momentum, and he was tempted just to end it right there. All it would take was one phone call and Enrique would be bussed out of the halfway house and back into rehab, then most likely back to prison before the treatment was 100% successful afterwards to complete his sentence. Michael would probably be joining him, if Kai was to find even one particle of heroin or cocaine or even a joint in his room. He forced himself to ignore Rei, who was looking between he and Yuri, who seemed to not blink. "In two days, you will be going to Fairview Medical Center Enrique, and you will be undergoing full blood work. I will be bringing the results myself, and I may be bringing a few officers. You better hope it's just because you haven't been sleeping well."

There was a stunned silence, which Kai seized as opportunity to depart. Michael snickered. "You in trouble 'rique." He laughed as he stood and turned towards the door. "Your ass is back in the can when those results come back." When Bryan spoke, however, the redhead stopped abruptly and snapped around to face him, his body going rigid.

"As you will be if Kai finds out **you're** the one who gave him the dope in the first place Michael." It was now Bryan's turn to smirk, and he met the American's wide-eyed stare with a confirming nod. "He may have a soft spot for those who try to rehabilitate, but he's not stupid. You're first on his suspect list. So I'd sit down and wait for him to come back before you go disappearing, because he will be back to speak with you."

"And how the hell do you know that, faggot?" Michael snapped in return, his hands immediately clenching into fists as he took a step towards the slightly broader male. Yuri watched the change in Bryan's body language, as his feet planted themselves more firmly onto the ground, his arms spreading away from his torso to grip the armrests of the chair, his head tilting slightly to the side, checking out the redhead.

"Michael, you know how I hate that word." Rei murmured disapprovingly, finally releasing Yuri's hand to move towards Enrique, who now sat shivering in the couch, seemingly more aware. His bloodshot eyes had filled with tears, and now the entire length of his arms shook with suppressed sobs. The Neko-jin wrapped the trembling youth in his lean arms, resting the younger's forehead against his shoulder as he whispered soothingly in his ear. So preoccupied was Rei he did not see Michael flip him the bird and then turned back to Bryan.

Yuri decided that now would be the perfect time to make his escape. Standing up, he moved slowly towards the door, trying to stay out of the lavender haired male's peripheral vision as Michael began snarling abuse and Bryan slowly rose to his feet, keeping his arms down by his side as he smiled coldly, nodding agreeably as the words began to meld into a rage-fuelled barrage of hatred. He breathed a bit easier when he was back in the hallway, and then he was moving through the front door, and the cool breeze swept over him. He saw the tall silhouette of the bluenette at the bottom of the pathway, almost at his car; shoulders slumped as a faint trail of smoke billowed away.

Silently Yuri walked to him, and when he was close enough to smell the pungent aroma of tobacco he finally spoke. "You'd do better without those if you have a migraine." He remarked off-handedly as he came to stop by his side, receiving barely a glance from the furious bluenette. "Stops the oxygen from getting to the brain. Clouds it up worse."

"Are you a doctor?" Kai retorted.

"No, but I am an avid reader. If you get them often you should go to your doctor, otherwise you could wind up being in a world of hurt. I didn't believe that at first, it's just a bad headache after all…but then it explained that migraines reduce your appetite –as does smoking, by the way- and it increases your sensitivity to sight and sound, which just makes the migraines worse."

The bluenette turned to him then, sending him a fierce glare that portrayed annoyance and insult. "Then you will also be aware one of the favorite treatments is an anti-depressant."

"If you don't want to take medicine," the redhead broached lowly, stepping closer to the taller male and plucking the cigarette from between his fingers, flipping it away with a flick of his finger, "there are alternative methods…you never answered my question yesterday by the way, do you have a girlfriend?"

"You are in my personal space Yuri; I am asking you politely to step back." Kai warned, staring down into the baby-blue eyes with all the authority he could muster, which was at that point a pitiful amount if he was to say so himself. He could assume that was the reason Yuri lifted his hands and grasped the sides of his head, fingers digging into the tender flesh of his temples. "Yuri, I am warning you…"

"…and I am trying to help you." The redhead answered nonchalantly, prodding gently with his fingers, experimenting with pressure and location, eyes narrowed in concentration. He didn't take the time to think what their positioning would look like to the neighbors in the street, or to Rei, who now stood in the window, looking out at them from the front room. The Neko-jin tilted his head curiously, watching as Kai allowed Yuri to continue for another thirty seconds before bracing a hand on the boy's chest and pushing him backwards. "That was hardly long enough to help, but you can do it yourself. You will be impressed by the results."

"Get back inside. I am now on my last nerve with all of you."

"Do you suspect Michael to be the one to have given drugs to Enrique?"

The sudden question stunned him for a moment, and then he nodded, unsure whether he should place his trust in the redhead who moments ago had been attempting to massage away his migraine. "Don't you think it would be rather stupid of me not to?"

"Yes. But I would call in a search for his room very quickly…as we speak I imagine he is in his room trying to flush whatever contraband he has down the toilet while simultaneously threatening Enrique to be silent."

"I don't need you to tell me this."

"I know. As I said, I'm trying to help you."

"Don't."


End file.
